diff --git a/roles/python/tasks/Unix.yaml b/roles/python/tasks/Unix.yaml
index 06acf82..5210943 100644
--- a/roles/python/tasks/Unix.yaml
+++ b/roles/python/tasks/Unix.yaml
@@ -28,8 +28,15 @@
       dest: ~/.pylintrc
     - src: ~/.config/python/ipython_config.py
       dest: ~/.config/ipython/profile_default/ipython_config.py
-    - src: ~/.config/python/pip.conf
-      dest: ~/.config/pip/pip.conf
+
+# TODO: remove this symbolic link if it exists, don't remove a regular file
+    # - src: ~/.config/python/pip.conf
+    #   dest: ~/.config/pip/pip.conf
+
+- name: create pip.conf from template
+  template:
+    src: pip.conf.j2
+    dest: ~/.config/pip/pip.conf
 
 - name: install pip packages
   pip:
diff --git a/roles/python/templates/pip.conf.j2 b/roles/python/templates/pip.conf.j2
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..04be926
--- /dev/null
+++ b/roles/python/templates/pip.conf.j2
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+[global]
+break-system-packages = true
+{% if ansible_env.http_proxy is defined %}
+proxy = {{ ansible_env.http_proxy }}
+{% endif %}
+
+[list]
+format=columns